By Sathiya Susuman Appunni, Full Professor of Demography, University of the Western Cape
Despite international efforts to eliminate child marriage, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to have high rates of this harmful practice.
Child marriage refers to a formal or informal union where one or both parties are under 18 years of age. It’s harmful because it denies girls their right to education, health and personal development.
Around 29% of young women aged 20-24 in the DRC were
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By Alan Whitfield, Emeritus Chief Scientist, NRF-SAIAB, National Research Foundation
Charles Helm, Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
Francis Thackeray, Honorary Research Associate, Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
Renee Rust, Research fellow, Department of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand; Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
Willo Stear, Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
The origins and migrations of modern humans around the world are a hot topic of debate. Genetic analyses have pointed to Africa as the continent from which our ancestors dispersed in the Late Pleistocene epoch, which began about 126,000 years ago. Various dispersal routes have been suggested.
As a group of scientists who have been studying human evolution, we propose in a recently published…
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By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
Why early Protestants embraced demons and witches but turned their backs on ghosts. Listen to expert Penelope Geng on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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By Amnesty International
Climate change is getting worse and so are the threats it poses to human rights. The right to adequate housing is being violated on a massive scale, as homes, particularly those in informal settlements, are destroyed by the effects of climate change. For example, South Africa has experienced devastating extreme weather and flooding over the […] The post How do we protect the right to housing amid the growing threat of climate change? appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Tilman Ruff, Honorary Principal Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne
All of the nine nuclear-armed nations are investing huge sums in new weapons. And the numbers of nuclear weapons “available for use” is climbing again.
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Labor came to power in 2022 promising a new form of transparent, accountable politics. As recent incidents have shown, there’s little sign of it.
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By Taylor Szyszka, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Synthetic Biology, University of Sydney
Davin Saviro Wijaya, PhD Candidate, Research School of Biology, Australian National University
Yu Heng Lau, Associate Professor in Chemical Biology, University of Sydney
As Earth’s population grows, we will need more food. According to one estimate, we may need to nearly double our crop yields in the next century to keep up.
At the same time, climate change and wild weather events are making it harder than ever to grow food. We are faced with a complex problem, but one thing is certain: we will need to grow better, more productive crops.
Crops have already gone through aeons of evolution and millennia of human selection, so improving their growth even…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image An individual holding a sign saying “Who says words does not consent” in front of the Palais de Justice during a rally in support of all victims of gender and sexual violence in Lyon, France, October 19, 2024. © 2024 Elsa Biyick/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images France's Parliament has adopted a landmark law - that defines rape as any non-consensual sexual act, a significant milestone in the fight against sexual violence in the country.In an overdue change, France is following Denmark, Finland, Spain, Greece, and other European nations in updating legal provisions…
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By Stephen Townsend, Research Fellow, UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland
Alan Pearce, Professor, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Health Science, Swinburne University of Technology
The death of a 17-year-old community cricket player has raised questions about how well helmets and neck protectors are working.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A boy shows a scar allegedly from a rubber bullet fired by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) during pro-democracy protests. Photo taken on October 28, 2021 in the outskirts of Manzini, Eswatini. © 2021 MICHELE SPATARI/AFP via Getty Images No member of the Eswatini security forces has been held accountable for deploying tasers, teargas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition against participants and passers-by in the June 2021 pro-democracy protests.Over four years have passed since scores of students, activists, and passers-by were killed, and hundreds more…
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